Cushioning mechanism for car trucks



April 2, 1940.

' J. A. SHAFER CUSHIONING MECHANISM FOR CAR TRUCKS Filed April 16, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR James A BY Shqfer Ap 2; 1940. J. A. SHAFER CUSHIONING MECHANISM FOR CAR TRUCKS Filed April 16, 1938 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Patented A r. 2, 1940 CUSHIONING MECHANISM FOR CAR TRUCKS James A. -Shaier, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to National Malleable and Steel Castings Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 16, 1938, Serial No. 202,422

12 Claims.

invention relates to railway car trucks and I more particularly to cushioning mechanism for car trucks.

An object-of my invention is to provide a new and improved cushioning mechanism having a large frictional bearing area.

Another object of my invention is to providea cushioning mechanism which is readily applicable to an existing car truck having standard springs such as the truck shown in my copending application Serial No. 153,884, filed July 16, 193'? which has since matured into U. S. Patent No. 2,153,648, granted April 11, 1939. v v

A further object of my invention is to provide a cushioning mechanism which is simple in construction, easily manufactured and in which the parts are locked in assembled relation without the necessity of special retaining means.

A more specific object of my invention 'is to provide a cushioning mechanism which is housed substantially within the end of the bolster and comprises segmental friction shoes cooperatively engaging a friction shell and which is actuated by the bolster to effectively prevent any undue oscillations of the bolster springs.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the embodiment'shown in the following drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view partly in vertical section, taken on line I-l of Fig. 2.

Figure 2 is a plan view partly in horizontal section, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken on line 33 of Fig. 1, one of-the cushioning mechanisms being shown in full.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a side frame It] having a compression member ll, a tension member I2, and vertical connecting columns l3, l3. Extending into the window opening I 4 formed by the tension and compression members and columns is the end portion l5 of a bolster having side walls It and top wall H. The horizontal portion of the tension member is of box-section and comprises bottom wall l8, side walls I 9, l9 and a top wall or shelf 20. Extending downwardly from the bolster through openings in shelf 20 are projections 2|, 2| which serve to tie together the side frame and bolster. The pro-- jections are received by sleeves 22, 22"'extending downwardly into the, tension member from shelf 20 and rest on springs 23, 23 housed within the tension member.

Each unit of the cushioning mechanism comprises a friction shell 21 having a bottom wall 28, resting on shelf 20, and an upturned flange 29 engaged by one end of friction shoes 30. The other end of each shoe is formed with a lip'3l 32 and friction shell 21 andnormally urge the friction shell and shoes away from each other. Shell 21 is provided with slots 35 which receive inward projections 36 on the shoes for the purpose of limiting relative outward movement between the shoes and friction shell. It will be observed that the lower part of each shoe is offset outwardly with respect to the remainder of the shoe to form a wedge surface 31 which, in the form of the invention herein shown, is about midway between the top and bottom of the shoe.

Between surface 31 and the top wall of the bolster is a ring 38 surrounding the shoes and adapted to transmit bolster loads thereto. Ring 38 has a wedging surface 39 corresponding to surfaces 31 on the shoes.

In operation, bolster loads are directed through v ring 38 to the'shoes by means of the wedge surfaces which urge the shoes against the shell, thereby generating frictional forces which act to oppose vertical movements of the bolster and thus effectively prevent any harmonic oscillations of the springs.

While I have shown two stabilizer units applied to the end of the bolster, only one may be used, and a coil spring substituted for the other, if so desired. It will, of course, beunderstood that although the description of my invention has been made in connection with one side frame and the end of the bolster, a similar side frame cooperates with the opposite end of the bolster in like manner.

To disassemble the truck, the bolster is raised until the bottoms of the projections clear shelf 20. been removed from the journal boxes the side frames can be slid off the ends of the bolster.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening and formed with a downwardly opening pocket in the end thereof, and cushioning mechanism on said shelf and extending into said pocket for supporting said bolster, said mechanism comprising a friction shell having a substantially vertical friction surface, spring means in said shell, segmental friction shoes engaging said surface and spring means, and a member engaging said bolster and surrounding said shoes adapted to transmit bolster loads to said shoes.

2. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster having an end extending into said opening, said bolster having an opening in the upper wall thereof, cushioning mechanism on said shelf for supporting said bolster and projecting through said upper wall opening, said mechanism comprising a friction shell having a vertically disposed friction surface, vertically compressible springmeans in said shell, segmental friction shoes engaging said surface and spring means, and a member engaging the upper wall of said bolster adjacent said opening therein and surrounding said shoes adapted to transmit bolster loads to said shoes.

3. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a

bolster extending into said opening and formed with a downwardly opening pocket in the end thereof, cushioning mechanism on said shelf and extending into said pocket for supporting said bolster, said mechanism comprising a load transmitting member in engagement with the top wall of said bolster, said member having a wedge surface, vertically movable segmental friction shoes within said member having wedge surfaces in engagment with said first-named wedge surface, spring means within said shoes, and a friction shell adapted to frictionally cooperate with said shoes to oppose vertical movements of said bolster.

4. A cushioning mechanism comprising a friction shell, spring means within said shell, a spring follower, segmental friction shoes each having one end thereof engaging said shell and ,the other end engaging said follower, said shoes having wedging means disposed intermediate said follower and shell, and a member surrounding said shoes engaging said wedging means and constructed and arranged so that upon application of loads thereto said shoes are urged against said shell.

5. A cushioning mechanism comprising a friction shell, spring means having an end thereof within said shell, 9. spring follower at the other end of said spring means, segmental friction shoes each having an end pivotally engaging said follower, the other end of each shoe being in frictional engagement with said shell, and a member surrounding said shoes and having portions in engagement therewith said engaging portions of said shoes and member being constructed and arranged so that upon application of loads thereto said shoes are urged against said shell.

6. A cushioning mechanism comprising a friction shell, spring means within said shell, a spring follower, segmental friction shoes each having one end pivotally engaging said follower and having surfaces at the other end engaging said shell, wedge surfaces on said shoes, and a member having a wedge surface in engagement with the wedge surfaces on said shoes and surrounding said shoes, said member being adapted upon the application of loads thereto to urge said shoes against said shell.

7. A cushioning mechanism comprising a friction shell having axially extending slots therein, spring means within said shell, friction shoes engaging said shell, said spring means being adapted to normally urge said shoe in an axial direction away from said shell, said shoes having guide means thereon adapted to be received by said slots, said slots and guide means being from said shell.

adapted to limit axial movement between said shoes and shell in said direction, and a member surrounding said shoes having portions in engagement therewith, said engaging portions of said shoes and member being constructed and I arranged so that upon the application of loads thereto said shoes are urged against said shell.

8. A cushioning mechanism comprising a friction shell having axially extending slots therein, spring means within said shell, a spring follower, segmental friction shoes pivotally engaging said follower, guide means on said shoes adapted to be received by said slots. said shoes being provided with surfaces adapted to engage said shell, 1 and a member surrounding said shoes and being adapted upon the application of loads thereto to urge said shoes against said shell.

9. ,A cushioning mechanism comprising a friction shell having axially extending slots therein, spring means within said shell, a spring follower, segmental friction shoes pivotally engaging said follower, guide means on said shoes adapted to be received by said slots, said shoes being provided with surfaces adapted to engage said shell, and a member, surrounding said shoes and being adapted upon the applicationof loads thereto to urge said shoes against said shell, said guide -means being adapted to engage an end of said slots to limit axial movement of said shoes away 10. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a

bolster having an end extending into said opening, said bolster having an opening in the upper wall thereof, spring means on said shelf and extending through said upper wall opening, friction means having an end extending through said upper wall opening and supported on said spring means, a friction shell on said shelf engaging the opposite end of said spring means and said friction means, and means between said upper wall and said friction means adapted to urge the latter against said shell to damp oscillations of said spring means.

11. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said opening and formed with a downwardly opening pocket in an end thereof, vertically compressible spring means on said shelf and extending into said pocket forsupporting said bolster, and friction means on said shelf and extending into said pocket for dampening oscillations of said spring means, said friction means comprising vertically movable friction shoes and an element surrounding said shoes and actuated by a portion of said bolster for transmitting bolster loads to said shoes.

12. In a car truck, a side frame having a bolster receiving opening and a shelf therebelow, a bolster extending into said. opening and having a downwardly opening pocket in an end thereof, spring means on said shelf extending into said pocket for supporting said bolster, and friction means for dampening oscillations of said spring means, said friction means comprising a friction shell surrounding said spring means, and vertically movable friction shoes each having an end engaging said shell and an end engaging said spring means, and wedging means actuated by said bolster engaging said shoes for urging the latter into engagement with said shell.

JAMES A. SHAFER. 

